Animal rescuers in Madera County, California are calling it -- the worst case of abuse they've ever seen where the pet actually survived. Someone tied up a dog to a post and left him for dead. Now two weeks later, this dog is making a miraculous recovery.

The AVMA celebrates Senior Healthy Pet Month in September, which is a good time to reflect on whether you’re doing everything you can to keep your senior cat healthy and happy.

Cats are considered “seniors” after age 10, and “geriatric” after the age of 13. The AVMA recommends twice-yearly checkups for geriatric cats. That might sound like overkill, but early detection of common senior afflictions (thyroid problems, diabetes, chronic renal failure, cancer, heart problems and the like) can mean the difference between effectively managing the disease long-term and having to euthanize your beloved pet.

Ho boy. How long THIS blog can be. I'll try and keep it under 10,000 words. Okay, a LOT shorter than that! Spent most of Sunday at the "Mutt Strutt" event that supports the Stark County Humane Society.==But first a really cool dog video I just saw. Think our furry friends don't think or feel??http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofpYRITtLSg======I observed a lot on Sunday. Several hundred dog owners and the requisite number of pets makes for very interesting entertainment. Was it Yogi Berra that said, "You can observe a lot by watching."?

A guy with two Golden Retrievers, both at least 80-85lbs. walks down the middle of where we're set up with booths. We all know Golden's are very strong. He can barely hold them back (as in: can BARELY control them). He's got a death grip on both leads. A lady in a booth holds out ONE treat for the two dogs. One moment here: Really? Do people THINK anymore? Do people observe and try to use common sense? "I know, here comes a guy with two dogs barely under control- I think I'll tease them, then be surprised when they tow the owner over to my booth and jump up on me." OBVIOUSLY, "NO" to both questions.The guy is actually smiling as this all happens. Either he is clueless, or the strain of pulling on the dogs just LOOKS like a smile! "Obedience" doesn't fit here. Weird.
======A guy with a dog that barks at other dogs every time it sees one (see previous observation on HUNDREDS of dog owners). So the dog pretty much barked at everything. You can tell he's very frustrated. He's using a Halti (which in my opinion are pretty much worthless) and the dog is barking. So he pulls the dog back to him, makes him sit, closes his mouth with his hand to get the dog to quit barking, and pets him (giving affection). Then they asked me why he continues to bark. Let's review:1) Using a collar that provides pretty much no real control over a dog.2) When the dog barks, YOU close his mouth instead of training him to quit barking.3) Giving affection to the activity you're striving to stop.

Aquatic biologists say it's a problem that falls somewhere between a human health concern and a nuisance, but will eventually lead to more human poisoning. State officials are telling people who live on algae-covered lakes to close their windows, stop taking walks along the picturesque shorelines and keep their dogs from drinking the rank water.

On May 1 a ban on pit bulls and other large dogs went into effect at New York City’s public housing projects.

The ban, one of the strictest for any public housing authority in the country, prohibits residents from keeping pure-bred or mixed-breed pit bulls, Rottweilers and Doberman pinschers, as well as any dog, with the exception of service dogs, expected to weigh more than 25 pounds when grown.

I take our dogs a lot of places. Various events all over the place. People are always coming up to pet Lexi & Murphy. I find it interesting how often I hear people say, "Oh... my dog is going to be soooo jealous!" And I always think, "Really?"

We pick up a thousand scents everyday that we'll never smell, but our dogs will. I left yesterday for a non-dog appointment and when I got home our two were all over me, smelling specific spots on my pants and shoes. I'm fairly certain they were not jealous as there was nothing to be jealous of; short of me having chicken for supper that they didn't - but then they never get people food, so why would they be? Okay, enough of that!

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — A northwest Missouri hospital is switching to high-tech mannequins for medical training classes after an animal rights group protested its use of live cats.

A spokeswoman for Heartland Regional Medical Center in St. Joseph said Monday the hospital will hold its first class using the $46,000 mannequins on Sept. 30. The classes teach health care workers how to place a tube down an infant's throat to help the baby breathe.

WOODBURY, N.J. (AP) — When a couple splits up, what happens to the pooch?

A New Jersey judge settled the question Monday in a costly legal battle that began after the Monroe Township couple called off their engagement in 2006. Eric Dare and Doreen Houseman are to share Dexter, the pug they both love.

ITHACA, New York (AP) — A group of upstate New York dog owners thinks it has a can-do plan to profitably compost the tons of dog doo left behind by the roughly 50,000 canines that use the city's pooch park each year.

Four weeks ago, Benji was stolen, along with his owners' car, from a restaurant parking lot in Jonesville, N.C. On Thursday, the pilfered pooch was reunited with his family at the Shenandoah County Animal Shelter.

So felines have ruled your world up to this day, and now you have decided to add a canine friend to your purring kingdom. The choice of adding a dog to a multi-cat household may appear to be daunting one but it must also be said that it is possible. The key really is to polish a bit your patience and find lots of time to keep a watchful eagle eye on all the dwellers in your home. Following are several tips on how to make this transaction as smooth as possible granting you to enjoy the features of ''both worlds''.

NEW IBERIA, La. (AP) — Waiting to hear back from the Guinness World Records people is the hardest part about submitting her 26-year-old mixed terrier as the world's oldest dog, Janelle Derouen says.

She does confess to some anxiety about whether Max — who, if you go for the old multiply-by-seven calculation, is about the equivalent of a 182-year-old human — will survive until the confirmation papers arrive.

Advances in DNA testing have changed the way we pursue criminals, verify paternity and date medieval manuscripts. Now it's being used to answer one of the greatest riddles mankind has ever faced: What kind of dog is that?

Saturday we had a really nice event at the Buehler's grocery store at Nobles Pond in Jackson Township! Thanks to them for providing the free space and exposure to several pet adoption agencies. There are so many to place. Their support is wonderful.

I had the occasion to speak to a very nice older gal that had a question on the behavior of her dog. This is the kind of lady that after three minutes of conversation, you KNOW you want her as your grandmother! Sweet with a kind voice.

The program allows dog owners to buy licenses without paying the $14 late penalty. The goal is to bring more pet owners into compliance with the state dog licensing law, which requires the purchase of a county license on an annual basis.

FRANKLIN, OHIO: A woman's pet cat has been found alive, buried beneath debris 26 days after an Ohio fire.

Sandy LaPierre says she assumed 1-year-old Smoka had died from the Aug. 10 fire in Franklin, about 30 miles north of Cincinnati. The blaze broke out in a building housing a flower shop and LaPierre's second-floor apartment.

You like to think of yourself as the "dog whisperer" of your neighborhood, greeting canines on the street, on the train, in other public places. But when you spot an adorable guide, hearing or service dog, you're all fur-klempt. What are you supposed to do?

CLEVELAND, OH – The Cleveland Animal Protective League is hosting its annual gala fundraiser, the Fur Ball “Cold Noses, Warm Hearts," on Saturday, October 3, at the InterContinental Hotel Cleveland. Hosted by Q104’s Rebecca Wilde, the Fur Ball’s proceeds will benefit the APL’s Second Chance Fund. The goal of the Second Chance Fund is to provide veterinary care for wonderful animals who are looking for another chance, a chance not only to survive, but also to heal and start a new, healthy life with a loving family.

Fur Ball 2009 will include silent and live auctions, dinner, and a heartwarming video presentation featuring stories of animals who have benefitted from the Cleveland APL’s Second Chance Fund. Some of the auction items include a multi-course catered dinner for 12, a week’s stay at lovely home in Hilton Head, SC, and the opportunity to have your pet photographed to be on the cover of the 2011 Cleveland APL calendar.